Multi-Compartment Food Tray

ABSTRACT

A multi-compartment food tray includes at least a first compartment and a second compartment formed from a paperboard material, each compartment including a compartment lip, and a carrier constructed from a paperboard material and including openings receiving the first and second compartments. Each compartment lip may be mechanically coupled to the carrier to create an interface, wherein the interface may remain coupled during food reconstitution, and may include at least one surface having a coating. The first compartment may have a different volume than the second compartment.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional Application No. 61/183,175 filed Jun. 2, 2009, the disclosure of which is incorporated in its entirety by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a multi-compartment food tray.

BACKGROUND

Conventional food trays have been manufactured to not only function as a packaging container for food, but also as a container for food preparation and/or reconstitution, such as heating, cooling, freezing and thawing of food. For instance, food trays have been manufactured from metal materials, such as tin or aluminum, which allows food to be reconstituted in conventional ovens without unacceptable degradation of the food tray. In addition, food trays have been manufactured from synthetic resin materials, such as food grade polypropylene and crystallized polyethylene terephthalate (CPET). Polypropylene food trays allow food to be heated in microwaves without undesirable degradation. CPET food trays allow food to be heated in ovens and microwaves without undesirable degradation.

While certain known food trays may be cost-effective, light-weight and/or durable, these materials may also have undesirable characteristics. For instance, metal food trays defeat metal detection systems that are commonly used to detect the presence of metal within the food contained in the tray. Therefore, customers that implement these metal detection systems find metal food trays unsuitable for this purpose. As another example, CPET food trays may suffer from poor performance under extreme temperature conditions. The CPET material may crack under relatively cold conditions, and may become unstable and flimsy at relatively high temperatures. Moreover, this material is relatively bulky and heavy to ship. Also, a food tray made from 100% plastic material takes a relatively long time to biodegrade (and in some instances, may not biodegrade) compared to a food tray made with a fraction of plastic material.

Against this backdrop, manufacturers have developed food trays that are made from paperboard materials. Such experimentation has provided food trays that are durable during transportation as well as safe during food reconstitution. However, manufacture of multi-compartment food trays made from paperboard materials have suffered from one or more drawbacks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a prior art multi-compartment food tray a prior art;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the multi-compartment food tray depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of a multi-compartment food tray according to one embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the multi-compartment food tray depicted in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the multi-compartment food tray depicted in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the multi-compartment food tray according to another embodiment of the present application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a known multi-compartment food tray 10 manufactured from a single piece of paperboard material. Food tray 10 may be manufactured using a stamping process that uses heat and extreme pressure to form a food tray from paperboard stock, such as rolled stock. The stamping process may use a stamping press, which can be driven, hydraulic, or screw type, for example. Food tray 10 includes first and second compartments 12 and 14, each configured to contain food. Each compartment 12 and 14 may be stamped to a particular size and configuration. As depicted in FIG. 1, food tray 10 is molded to include a divider wall 16, which separates each compartment 12 and 14 from each other. As such, food tray 10 is capable of storing different food items within each separated compartment 12 and 14.

The combination of the stamping process and the paperboard material may present certain limitations on the sizes and configurations that can be manufactured while providing the requisite strength to the finished food tray.

As shown in FIG. 1, food tray 10 has a scored or scalloped flange surface 15 and a divider wall surface 17, which is spaced apart from the scored or scalloped flange surface 15. Food tray 10 is manufactured with this structure to provide reinforcement between compartments 12 and 14. Otherwise, if the surfaces 15 and 17 were coplanar, divider wall 16 would act as a highly flexible hinge, which could cause one of the compartments 12 or 14 to rotate away from the other compartment, thereby spilling the contents of one or both of the compartments 12 and 14. However, by spacing apart the surfaces 15 and 17, the volume of compartments 12 and 14 is less than a similar structure having coplanar surfaces.

Further, divider wall 16 is formed with a width tapering from a small end on divider wall surface 17 to large end proximate to base walls 20 and 24 of food tray 10. The tapered width is provided as a structural reinforcement for food tray 10. While it achieves this benefit, it sacrifices volume of compartments 12 and 14.

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of food tray 10. As illustrated, first compartment 12 may include side wall 18 and base wall 20 and second compartment 14 may include side wall 22 and base wall 24. As shown in FIG. 2, side walls 18 and 22 taper inward from surface 15 towards base walls 20 and 24. The pronounced tapered shape, which reduces volume compared to slightly tapered or untapered side walls, is a result and a limitation of the stamping process used to form food tray 10 having two compartments 12 and 14. Moreover, the stamping process for creating a multi-compartment tray from a single piece of paperboard may limit the shape and dimensions of each compartment 12 and 14.

Also, the food tray 10 may suffer from design limitations due to the multiple scoring in different directions that may be needed to produce food tray 10. The process of forming the blank for use in manufacturing food tray 10 may be relatively inefficient, and result in wasted material and/or tearing.

Additionally, in certain instances, a post trim process is used to trim flange surface 17, which may exhibit uneven or scalloped paper gathering. This additional step adds to manufacturing time and cost, and may result in wasted paper material.

FIG. 3 illustrates a multi-compartment food tray 30 according to one or more embodiments of the present invention. Food tray 30 may include at least a first and second compartment 32 and 34 molded of a paperboard material capable of containing food. In one or more embodiments, the paperboard material of each compartment 32 and 34 may be manufactured using a micro-flute or micro-corrugated flute material.

In one or more embodiments, the paperboard material is formed of base paper material including a film or coating, for example an extruded coating, on one or both of the surfaces of the base paper material. Non-limiting examples of paper materials include solid bleach of sulfate (SBS), solid unbleached sulfate (SUS), laminates, silicone laminates and parchment paper.

In one or more embodiments, the film or coating provides the paperboard material with a food contacting surface sufficient to withstand one or more processes for reconstituting food. For example, the film or coating may allow each compartment to be heated within a microwave or conventional oven without the paper material experiencing unacceptable degradation. Each compartment 32 and 34 may include an extrusion coating of polypropene (PP) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) on one or both sides of the base paper material. By using a PP or PET coating, each compartment 32 and 34 may be capable of withstanding the relatively high temperatures needed to sufficiently heat food for certain applications. Alternatively, each compartment 32 and 34 may include an extrusion coating of polyethylene (PE) on one or both sides of the base paper material. The extrusion coating of PE may allow each compartment 32 and 34 to be cooled within a freezer or ice chest without the paper material experiencing unacceptable degradation. In addition, by using a PP, PET, or PE coating, the strength and rigidity of each compartment 32 and 34 may be increased. Other non-limiting examples of films or coatings include polypropylene and bakery release coatings, such as PBT and PMP.

In one or more embodiments, the film or coating may be applied as an emulsion using a coating machine, e.g., a rod coating machine.

The inner walls of each compartment 32 and 34 may be coated with a silicon release coating so that food does not adhere to the interior walls when heated in a conventional oven or microwave. For example, by coating each compartment 32 and 34 with a silicon release coating, food items such as muffins, brownies, or cakes may not adhere to the interior walls of each compartment 32 and 34 during baking.

Each compartment 32 and 34 may further be coated with an acrylic barrier that may be moisture and/or grease-resistant. The acrylic barrier may allow cooking of food items, such as meat and poultry, within each compartment 32 and 34. For example, by using an acrylic barrier each compartment 32 and 34 may be capable of cooking a beef stew or stroganoff. As such, wet food items may be cooked within each compartment 32 and 34 which may otherwise soak into and deteriorate a conventional paperboard food tray that may not be coated with an acrylic barrier.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, a carrier 36 is provided having openings 37 and 39 for receiving compartments 32 and 34, respectively. Openings 37 and 39 may be correspondingly sized based upon the volumes of the compartments 32 and 34, wherein the compartments 32 and 34 may be of the same or different volumes. Each compartment 32 and 34 may further include a compartment lip 38 and 40 which may designed so that each compartment 32 and 34 may be mechanically coupled to a the carrier 36. For example, FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 4. As illustrated, compartment lip 40 may be mechanically coupled to carrier 36 using an adhesive bond 42, such as glue or the like. However, the present disclosure further contemplates that each compartment lip 38 and 40 may be coupled to the carrier 36 using thermal bonding, ultrasonic bonding and/or welding, mechanical fastening, or any other suitable method and/or substance. In one embodiment, ultrasonic welding is used without the use of an adhesive. In one or more embodiments, a water-based adhesive certified for food containment and reconstitution is utilized to couple the carrier 36 and compartment lips 38 and 40.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in one or more embodiments the carrier 36 may include a divider area 41 between the openings 37 and 39 and an outer flange area 43 surrounding the openings 37 and 39 that are generally coplanar. With this configuration, the volume of the compartments 32 and 34 can be increased as compared with a tray structure wherein the divider and outer flange areas are not coplanar.

In one or more embodiments, the carrier 36 does not separate from compartments 32 and 34 during transportation. In one or more embodiments, once coupled, carrier 36 does not separate from the compartments 32 and 34 when exposed to extreme temperatures. For example, once coupled, carrier 36 may not separate from each compartment 32 and 34 during exposure to extremely high heat during baking or cooking. Also, once coupled, carrier 36 may not separate from each compartment 32 and 34 during exposure to extremely low temperatures when placed within a freezer or ice chest.

Because each carrier is designed to carry a number of specifically designed compartments, the food tray is capable of containing food that may not be contained using a one-piece multi-compartment paperboard food tray. For example, certain conventional food trays may not be capable of being manufactured to hold a plurality of hotdogs and hotdog buns. However, a food tray according to one or more embodiments of the present invention may include compartments specifically designed to hold either a hotdog or hotdog bun. Furthermore, such a food tray may couple a carrier together with the compartments designed to contain the hotdog and hotdog buns. The carrier may further be designed so that compartments holding other food stuff, such as baked beans and mashed potatoes, may be coupled together with the compartments holding the hotdogs and hotdog buns. It should be appreciated that other sized and shapes may be manufactured using the structures according to one or more embodiments.

The manufacturing process for food tray 30 and other food trays according to one or more embodiments includes the step of securing the compartments to the carrier. While this represents an additional step, the overall manufacturing process may represent a cost and resource savings over a traditional manufacturing process for a single-piece, multi-compartment construction. These savings may stem from the increased reliability and speed of the stamping step for producing a single compartment versus a multi-compartment tray from a single piece of paperboard.

In another embodiment, FIG. 6 illustrates food tray 44 formed to function as a muffin tray. As such, food tray 44 may include a number of circular compartments 45, 46, 47, and 48 formed to allow for baking of muffins. Food tray 44 may further include a carrier 50 that includes a number of circular openings configured to receive the circular compartments 45, 46, 47, and 48. Each circular compartment 45, 46, 47, and 48 may further include a compartment lip 52, 54, 56, and 58. Each compartment lip 52, 54, 56, and 58 may allow the circular compartments 45, 46, 47, and 48 to be mechanically coupled to the carrier 50. As such, the circular compartments 45, 46, 47, 48 may be filled with muffin mix and may be baked within a conventional oven. Once the muffins are finished baking, the muffins may be removed and the food tray 44 may be placed within a garbage receptacle or recycle bin.

One feature of this invention is the recognition of the materials for and/or positioning of interfacing surfaces of a compartment lip and carrier. For example, the carrier may be made of uncoated paperboard or micro flute corrugate material, while the compartment is made of PET extrusion coated (or other plastic coating or film) paperboard. Therefore, the interface is a paper surface and a plastic coating or film surface. Alternatively, the compartment may be uncoated and the carrier is coated or filmed. As a third alternative, both compartments and carrier element are coated or filmed. Using any alternative, one or more embodiments of the present invention provide a permanent alternative between the carrier and compartment. The positioning of the interfacing surface may be a lower surface of the compartment lip and an upper surface of the carrier, as shown in FIGS. 3-5 or vice versa, as shown in FIG. 6.

While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention. 

1. A multi-compartment food tray, comprising: a first compartment and a second compartment formed of a paperboard material, each compartment including a compartment lip; and a carrier formed of a paperboard material and including openings receiving the first and second compartments, wherein each compartment lip is mechanically coupled to the carrier to create a coupled interface.
 2. The tray according to claim 1, wherein the coupled interface is inseparable while the tray is exposed to a food reconstitution process.
 3. The tray according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the carrier and the compartments includes a coating.
 4. The tray according to claim 3, wherein the coating is an extrusion coating comprising at least one of polypropene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or polyethylene (PE).
 5. The tray according to claim 1, wherein each compartment lip is mechanically coupled to the carrier using an adhesive.
 6. The tray according to claim 5, wherein the adhesive comprises a water-based adhesive.
 7. The tray according to claim 1, wherein the first compartment has a different volume than the second compartment.
 8. A multi-compartment food tray, comprising: a first compartment and a second compartment formed of a paperboard material, each compartment including a compartment lip; and a carrier formed of a paperboard material and including openings receiving the first and second compartments, wherein each compartment lip is mechanically coupled to the carrier to create an interface, the interface including at least one surface having a coating.
 9. The tray according to claim 8, wherein the carrier comprises uncoated paperboard and the compartments comprise coated paperboard.
 10. The tray according to claim 8, wherein the carrier comprises coated paperboard and the compartments comprise uncoated paperboard.
 11. The tray according to claim 8, wherein the carrier and the compartments comprise coated paperboard.
 12. The tray according to claim 8, wherein the coating is an extrusion coating comprising at least one of polypropene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or polyethylene (PE).
 13. The tray according to claim 8, wherein at least a portion of each compartment is coated with a silicon release coating.
 14. The tray according to claim 8, wherein at least a portion of each compartment is coated with an acrylic barrier.
 15. The tray according to claim 8, wherein each compartment lip is mechanically coupled to the carrier using an adhesive.
 16. The tray according to claim 8, wherein the first compartment has a different volume than the second compartment.
 17. A multi-compartment paperboard food tray, comprising: a first compartment and a second compartment, the first compartment having a different volume than the second compartment, each compartment including a compartment lip; and a carrier including openings receiving the first and second compartments, the carrier including a divider area between the openings and an outer flange area adjacent the openings that are generally coplanar.
 18. The tray according to claim 17, wherein each compartment lip is mechanically coupled to the carrier.
 19. The tray according to claim 17, wherein the first and second compartments hold complementary food items.
 20. The tray according to claim 17, wherein at least one of the carrier and the compartments comprises paperboard having a coating. 